Sliding door for vehicles and opening means therefor



t MEL A ril 13, 1954 R. E. ANDERSON 2,675,229 SLIDING DOOR FOR VEHICLES AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Dec. '7, 1951 2a was INVENTOR. if 0551? TEA/V05 :w/J

Jim

J Z5 16 2 26 B iatented Apr. 13, 1954 SLIDING DOOR FOR VEHICLES AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR Robert E. Anderson, Philadelphia, Pa. Application December 7, 1951, Serial No. 260,511

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a sliding door for vehicles and opening means therefor and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a door of the character set forth which is adapted to lie flush with the outside of a vehicle in which it may be mounted. Novel means is provided for opening the door from either without or within the vehicle upon which it is mounted which means is adapted to evenly move the door away from the opening in which it is positioned so that it may be quickly and easily slid to one side of such opening. Various novel features are incorporated as a part of the device.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a device of the character set forth which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and yet effective and efiicient in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in a device of the character set forth, of novel means for forcing a door inwardly of its opening through the use of certain handles forming parts of the invention.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2--2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, illustrating a guide member forming a part of the invention,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective View, partly in section, of the device illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, and

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, illustrating a crank forming a part of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown therein a door I of generally rectangular shape which is normally positioned in an opening H in a wall l2 of a freight car, aeroplane or the like and which door is provided with a window l3.

A handle shaft l 4 extends transversely through the door I0 and has integrally formed therewith at its inner end an inner handle while at its outer end there is removably mounted thereon by means of a socket IS, an outer handle IT.

A gear I8 is afiixed to the shaft M and is enmeshed With a pair of gears I!) each of which is aflixed to the inner end of a vertically extending rod 20, each of which rods are journaled in a bearing 2| carried upon the inner side of the door l0 above and below the shaft [4.

A pair of horizontally extending racks 22 is provided and each is enmeshed at its inner portion with one of the gears l9 and each is supported by a bracket 23 afiixed to the inner side of" the door If! which brackets 23 are each provided with a cover 24 fastened thereto and which covers act to retain the racks 22 therein.

The outer portions of each of the racks 22 are enmeshed with gears 25 which are, in turn, aflixed to vertically extending shafts 26 journaled in bearings 27 adjacent each side of the door In and which shafts 26 each terminate at both their upper and lower ends in cranks 28 which are adapted to bear against the inner side of the wall I2.

In operation, it will be apparent that when it is desired to open the door I 0, it is only necessary to turn the inner handle I 5 if the operator happens to be upon the inner side of the vehicle or, alternatively, if the operator is without the vehicle he may attach the handle I! by means of the socket [6 to the outer end of the shaft [4 to thereby turn the latter. When this action occurs, the gear l8 will revolve thus revolving the gears l9 and consequently the rods 20. This action causes the rack 22 to move inwardly thereby revolving the gears 25 in opposite directions and thus causing the cranks 28 all to equally bear against the inner side of the wall [2 to thereby force the door I ll inwardly of the vehicle in which it is mounted and away from the opening H after which the door may he slid sideways to free the opening H so that cargo or persons may be moved therethrough. Buffers 30 are aiiixed to the inner side of the door inwardly of each of the racks 22 to limit the inward movement of such racks.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A device of the character described comprising, in combination with a wall having an opening therein, the provision of a door, a pair of vertical shafts each revoiubiy mounted adjacent one side of the inner face of said door, a crank formed at each end of said shafts and each positioned adjacent the inner side of said wall, a handle shaft extending through said door, and means operable by the turning of said handle shaft for forcing said cranks against said wall, said means including a gear aflixed to each of said vertical shafts, a pair of horizontally extending racks each enmeshed with one of said gears carried. by said vertical shafts, a gear affixed to said handle shaft, and a pair of gears carried by said door and each enmeshed with said gear of said handle shaft and with one of said racks, and a guide member for each of said racks, said guide members each being afiixed to the inner face of said door and each comprising a support and a cover and each having a complementary opening for the slidable reception therethrough of a rack, and. a pair of buffers each affixed to the inner side of said door in the path of inward movement of one of said racks whereby to limit such inward movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 526,266 Sammis Sept. 18, 1894 1,064,394 Suter June 10, 1913 1,199,049 Chenoweth Sept. 26, 1916 1,234,661 Harley July 24, 1917 1,251,855 Atkinson Jan. 1, 1918 1,300,475 OConnor Apr. 15, 1919 1,416,308 Silverman et al. May 16, 1922 2,069,883 Hennicke Feb. 9, 1937 2,295,324 Arthur Sept. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 343,299 Germany Oct. 31, 1921 

